At least 7 people have been recovered dead and another 50 (perhaps more, 60 according to local media) have been missing since early Monday, when tons of mud washed over dozens of houses in Alausi, a community in the Andean province of Ciborasso and the same area that hit the last week by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake that killed 15 people.

The gigantic landslide was caused by the torrential rains of the last few days.

Rescue crews continue to race against time today to find survivors while the armed forces are involved in rescue operations and distribution of material to build temporary shelters.

In Alawsi, home to about 45,000 people, survivors await news of their loved ones.

Manuel Upay, a farmer and builder, 40, told AFP that five members of his family “are buried here” as he continued to search for his father-in-law and mother-in-law in the rubble.

Maria Villa, 46, was able to get out of the window of her house to save herself along with her husband and daughter. “I was getting ready to eat (…) and I heard the knock,” he said. Her husband started shouting: “the hill is collapsing”.

Maria admits that the authorities advised the family to leave the area, which was declared in February in a state of “yellow alert” due to the risk of landslides after heavy rains.

“This week we were advised to leave, but we could not leave all our belongings (…) I know that life is worth more,” he said.

Authorities had also warned against the risk of part of the E35 motorway collapsing as part of the mountain came off.

Since January, rains and landslides have killed 22 people and left 346 homeless across the country. More than 6,900 homes were damaged and 72 were completely destroyed, according to authorities. 987 such “events” (floods and landslides) have been recorded.

In February, oil production from the field was suspended for five days as a pipeline was at risk of being cut in two by a bridge collapse due to rain.